How to organize a cooperative EPF Chapter – Campus Chaplaincy event

Submitted by Chapter of the Southern Tier, New York

Our EPF Chapter in Ithaca, New York, has organized two cooperative peace-centered events with the Episcopal Chaplaincy at Cornell University in the last several years. We began our planning after noticing a gap between ‘town and gown’ at events like Peace Vigils and organized anti-war demonstrations in Ithaca. Where were the students, we wondered, in a small city with two major institutions of higher learning, Cornell and Ithaca College? As we talked, we decided one way to bridge the gap was to take our concerns for nonviolence to the busy students, rather than waiting for them to come downtown to us. Our goal was to begin a relationship, through the campus chaplaincy at Cornell, with Episcopal students and see what might happen.

Step #2 : Formulate your Plan

We knew that the Cornell congregation gathered for worship at 5 pm on Sunday. We also suspected that students would hang around for some home cooking after the service and the opportunity to view and discuss a DVD on a topic of genuine interest to them and to us. The National Executive Council of EPF had just sent to all Chapter conveners a copy of “The Bible Tells Me So,” featuring Bp. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire and other Episcopal voices exploring with honesty and sensitivity the issue of homosexuality and inclusion in the church. This seemed like an excellent place to start. Our plan began to take shape: worship, food, DVD, discussion. We would repeat this pattern at a second event, this time offering the DVD, “Rethinking Afghanistan.”

Step #3 : Link Up with the Chaplain

Once we had a rough plan in place, we approached the Chaplaincy. Our first event involved an Interim Chaplain, our second event involved the newly-installed Chaplain.

We learned that there are important questions to consider, after the initial enthusiastic response to our plan. Promising to bring in a program, with a meal, will rarely be turned down! Talk about outcomes: what does each group hope to accomplish with the event? When is the best time in the semester’s calendar to attempt it? How will the event be “talked up” or advertised among the student congregation so that they can set aside time to attend? Who will lead the conversation after the DVD? Will there be follow-up with the students? If so, what and how? All of these have turned out to be important considerations.

Step #4 : Attention to Details

Once a date is selected and cooperation between the two groups is established, it’s time to focus on details. Depending on your plans, details will vary. For us, details included

organizing the preparation and transport of a meal, to be served in a facility without a kitchen or dining space — the event was held in one large room. We also took responsibility for carrying in video and audio equipment, screen, cords, etc. The details are important … for the lack of an extension cord, a plan may fail. At our first event, we agreed to preface the DVD with a talk about EPF; at the second event, one of our members was asked to preach during the worship service. This, also, required planning with respect to materials for hand-outs and message. Sometimes an additional speaker might seem appropriate for the discussion after the DVD. We asked a member of the group, Veterans for Peace, to be present for viewing and discussing “Rethinking Afghanistan.” We believe this participant brought a perspective that noone in our Chapter could offer.

Step #5 : Worship, Eat, View, Talk

We have discovered that each event has an atmosphere of its own. The DVD “The Bible Tells Me So” brought together so many interested people, not just students, that there were not enough chairs. The conversation had to be closed down prematurely because our rights to that particular room expired at 9 pm. Our second experience was a sharp contrast. Very few students stayed to talk about the war in Afghanistan after the DVD; was it the difficult topic, the wrong choice of date, a lack of preparation? We’re not sure. The EPFers and those who did stay to talk together, including a number of non-students who worship there regularly, had a rich conversation with the representative of Veterans for Peace.

Step #6 : Post-event Evaluation

This is a chance for the Chapter to evaluate what we did wrong and what we did right, how we can improve, to what extent did we meet our goals and how do we want to build on this experience and our growing relationship with the Chaplaincy. If it is possible to engage in follow-up with the Chaplain, this is recommended, whether face-to-face or just an email exchange. In our Chapter, we already are batting around ideas of what we’d like to offer the next time!